Short answer: In the 2024–2026 records we hold for Chicago, no listed result is above a legal limit. Also worth knowing: the water is hard. 4 substances were detected and 30 were tested and not detected. The water is from Chicago Department of Water Management, serving 2,721,308 residents.
Your water bill or annual water quality report names your actual supplier.
Surface water
Treated and disinfected with chlorine.
Mains, then your building’s service line.
Plumbing inside the building is outside this record.
No measured result is above a legal limit; the water is hard.
6.4 µg/L, sampled 2026–2026 monitoring period (still open). EPA SDWIS (Lead & Copper Rule).
15 µg/L federal action level. EPA health goal (MCLG): 0.
The 90th-percentile tap result was 6.4 µg/L (below the 15 µg/L action level).
Usually from lead service lines, solder and fixtures inside buildings, after the water leaves treatment.
Test your own tap first. To reduce it: Lead-certified carbon filter, or reverse osmosis (NSF/ANSI 53 (lead)).
26.4 ppb, sampled 2025. Utility CCR.
80 ppb federal MCL: a legal limit.
26.4 ppb (below the 80 ppb federal limit).
Forms in the pipes as the disinfectant reacts with natural organic matter.
Test your own tap first. Technologies that can reduce it: Activated carbon, Reverse osmosis.
13.8 ppb, sampled 2025. Utility CCR.
60 ppb federal MCL: a legal limit.
13.8 ppb (below the 60 ppb federal limit).
Forms in the pipes as the disinfectant reacts with natural organic matter.
Test your own tap first. Technologies that can reduce it: Activated carbon, Reverse osmosis.
8.2 gpg, sampled 2025. Utility CCR.
Aesthetic, no federal health limit.
140 mg/L as CaCO3 (8.2 grains/gal), hard. Aesthetic (scale/appliances), not a health finding.
Shows up as scale in kettles, water heaters and fixtures.
Test your own tap first. To reduce it: Ion-exchange water softener (NSF/ANSI 44 (softeners)).
CHICAGO (EPA PWSID IL0316000) delivers surface water to 2,721,308 residents. This report reflects 29 individual PFAS result(s) from the source UCMR5 observations and the latest Lead & Copper Rule 90th-percentile result. The utility's 2025 CCR reports hard water and chlorine disinfection.
0health-based violations in the last 10 years
From EPA SDWIS. A clean violation history means no enforcement action was recorded; it does not cover contaminants without a limit.
The record describes water leaving treatment and samples across the system. Pipes, solder and fixtures inside a building can add lead the record can’t see, especially in older buildings with lead service lines.
Test your waterMeasured in this report
Sampled across the system
Not in this record
Only a tap test measures it
Know what comes from your tap, starting with a first-draw lead sample.
Compare each result with its named reference in our test reader.
Choose a technology certified for what your test found.
Screening tells you if something is worth a closer look; a lab result is the number you can act on.
As an Amazon Associate, PurityMap earns from qualifying purchases. Affiliate disclosure.
Lab-certified results
ETR Laboratories
50+ substances, including lead, copper, arsenic, nitrate, hardness and coliform bacteria
What it can't tell you: It does not test PFAS, and not every result on the panel falls under the lab's accredited scope.
Screening: quick check, not lab-grade
Varify
17 strip readings, including lead, chlorine, fluoride, iron and hardness, plus 2 coliform bacteria tests
What it can't tell you: Strip colors give rough ranges, not lab numbers, and it cannot detect PFAS or arsenic.
When your results arrive, read them here → · Compare every kit we list
| Finding | Reference type | Technology | Certification to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead (90th percentile)6.4 µg/L | Action level | Lead-certified carbon filter, or reverse osmosis | NSF/ANSI 53 (lead) |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)26.4 ppb | Federal MCL | Activated carbon, Reverse osmosis | Check the certifier’s listing |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5)13.8 ppb | Federal MCL | Activated carbon, Reverse osmosis | Check the certifier’s listing |
| Water hardness8.2 gpg | Aesthetic, no health limit | Ion-exchange water softener | NSF/ANSI 44 (softeners) |
★ Best choice: Brita Elite Water Filter Pitcher, certified for lead.
| Pick | Product | Details and price | Certification | Why it’s listed | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★ Best choice | PitcherBrita Elite Water Filter Pitcher | TreatsleadPrice$ | Certified for Lead (NSF/ANSI 53, WQA) | Why it’s listed: its current certification names lead, found in Chicago’s record.See the evidence | Check price on Amazon |
| Also good | Under-sinkAquasana Claryum 3-Stage Max Flow Under-Sink Filter (AQ-6300M) | TreatsleadPrice$$ | Certified for Lead (NSF/ANSI 53, WQA) | Why it’s listed: its current certification names lead, found in Chicago’s record.See the evidence | Check price at Aquasana |
| Also good | CountertopAquasana Clean Water Machine Countertop Filter (AQ-CWM2) | TreatsleadPrice$$ | Certified for Lead (NSF/ANSI 53, WQA) | Why it’s listed: its current certification names lead, found in Chicago’s record.See the evidence | Check price at Aquasana |
| Pick | Product | Details and price | Certification | Why it’s listed | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also good | Reverse osmosisSmartFlow® Reverse Osmosis | TreatsleadTechnologyReverse osmosisPrice$$$ | Certified for lead (WQA) | Why it’s listed: its current certification names lead, found in Chicago’s record.See the evidence | Check price at Aquasana |
| Also good | Under-sinkWaterdrop G3P600 Tankless Reverse-Osmosis System | TreatsleadPrice$$$ | Certified for Lead (NSF/ANSI 58-2024, IAPMO) | Why it’s listed: its current certification names lead, found in Chicago’s record.See the evidence | Check price at Waterdrop |
| Also good | Under-sinkWaterdrop G3P800 Tankless Reverse-Osmosis System | TreatsleadPrice$$$ | Certified for Lead (NSF/ANSI 58-2024, IAPMO) | Why it’s listed: its current certification names lead, found in Chicago’s record.See the evidence | Check price at Waterdrop |
| Also good | CountertopAquaTru Carafe Countertop Reverse-Osmosis Purifier (AT100) | TreatsleadPrice$$$ | Certified for Lead (NSF/ANSI 58, IAPMO) | Why it’s listed: its current certification names lead, found in Chicago’s record.See the evidence | Check price on Amazon |
| Also good | CountertopAquaTru Classic Countertop Reverse-Osmosis Purifier (AT2000) | TreatsleadPrice$$$ | Certified for Lead (NSF/ANSI 58, IAPMO) | Why it’s listed: its current certification names lead, found in Chicago’s record.See the evidence | Check price on Amazon |
| Also good | Under-sinkAquasana Claryum 2-Stage Under-Sink Filter (AQ-5200) | TreatsleadPrice$$ | Certified for Lead (NSF/ANSI 53, WQA) | Why it’s listed: its current certification names lead, found in Chicago’s record.See the evidence | Check price on Amazon |
| Also good | PitcherCulligan ZeroWater 10-Cup Pitcher (ZEROP10) | TreatsleadPrice$ | Certified for Lead (NSF/ANSI 53, IAPMO) | Why it’s listed: its current certification names lead, found in Chicago’s record.See the evidence | Check price on Amazon |
| Also good | Under-sinkFrizzlife SP99 Under-Sink Filter | TreatsleadPrice$$ | Certified for Lead (NSF/ANSI 53-2024, IAPMO) | Why it’s listed: its current certification names lead, found in Chicago’s record.See the evidence | Check price on Amazon |
| Also good | Faucet-mountPUR Plus Faucet Filter (FM2500V) | TreatsleadPrice$ | Certified for Lead (NSF/ANSI 53, IAPMO) | Why it’s listed: its current certification names lead, found in Chicago’s record.See the evidence | Check price on Amazon |
| Also good | CountertopPatriot Pure Ultimate Water Filtration System | TreatsleadPrice$$ | Certified for Lead (NSF/ANSI 53, NSF, IAPMO) | Why it’s listed: its current certification names lead, found in Chicago’s record.See the evidence | Check price on Amazon |
| Also good | Reverse osmosisiSpring RCC7AK Alkaline Reverse Osmosis SystemUse code REFISPRING at checkout: 10% off your first iSpring order. | TechnologyReverse osmosisPrice$$ | Brand lab-tested, not independently certified for lead | See the evidence | Check price at iSpring |
| Also good | Reverse osmosisiSpring RO5004F Tankless Reverse Osmosis System with UVUse code REFISPRING at checkout: 10% off your first iSpring order. | TechnologyReverse osmosisPrice$$$ | Brand lab-tested, not independently certified for lead | See the evidence | Check price at iSpring |
| Also good | Reverse osmosisWaterdrop X12 Reverse Osmosis System | TechnologyReverse osmosisPrice$$$$ | Brand lab-tested, not independently certified for lead | See the evidence | Check price at Waterdrop |
★ Best available: iSpring WGB32B-PFKS PFAS & Heavy Metals Whole House Filter, the best fit here; nothing in this group is certified yet.
| Pick | Product | Details and price | Certification | Why it’s listed | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★ Best available | Whole-houseiSpring WGB32B-PFKS PFAS & Heavy Metals Whole House FilterUse code REFISPRING at checkout: 10% off your first iSpring order. | Price$$$ | Brand lab-tested, not independently certified for lead | See the evidence | Check price at iSpring |
Also: hard water picks →
PurityMap earns a commission from these links. "Best choice" and "Budget pick" go to certified products first; commission never decides them. As an Amazon Associate, PurityMap earns from qualifying purchases. Affiliate disclosure.
Lead service lines
Chicago Department of Water Management reported 350,531 lead and 10,326 galvanized service lines to replace in EPA’s inventory (2026Q2). Many utilities replace these lines for free or share the cost. Ask Chicago Department of Water Management whether your home’s line is on its list before you pay anyone.
Local help
Call to be connected with a local plumbing provider about lead service lines, repiping or fixture replacement.
Older buildings may have lead service lines, solder or fixtures. Chicago’s record shows lead at 6.4 µg/L (15 µg/L federal action level). Test first-draw water, then filter if needed.
None of the 29 PFAS tested was detected in Chicago’s record. If PFAS matters to you, a filter certification names each compound it covers.
Utilities keep a disinfectant in the pipes on the way to your tap. A carbon filter certified for chlorine reduces the taste.
Scale is a comfort and appliance issue, not a health one.
Reverse osmosis reduces many dissolved contaminants, including lead and minerals, at a single faucet, with some water sent to drain.
Get one email when Chicago’s record changes.
One email when a new sampling round is published, a result moves above or below its reference, or the system's score changes.PurityMap does not give a safe/unsafe verdict; it shows what the public records measured. For Chicago, no regulated PFAS were detected in EPA's 2024 testing; the lead 90th-percentile result was 6.4 µg/L against the 15 µg/L action level. CHICAGO (PWSID IL0316000) has a Purity Score of 91/100 (confidence: high), assessed at the water-system level and computed only from contaminants that were measured. Water can change in your own pipes, so a certified test is the only way to know what comes out of your tap. What we found →
CHICAGO (PWS ID IL0316000) is the public water system on record for Chicago, Illinois, serving about 2,721,308 people. Confirm the utility on your water bill before acting on a specific finding. Water utility →
Surface water (primary source of record in EPA SDWIS). Water utility →
None of the 29 PFAS in EPA's UCMR 5 testing (2024-01-08 to 2024-10-08) was detected. "Not detected" means below the lab's reporting limit, not proven zero. What we found →
CHICAGO's most recent lead 90th-percentile result (2026) was 6.4 µg/L, below the 15 µg/L action level. That figure comes from sampled homes; lead usually enters from a building's own pipes and fixtures, so only a test at your tap tells you what you drink. Your household →
PurityMap's current record for Chicago holds 34 findings: 1 above a reference, 3 detected within the reference and 30 not detected. Each finding links to its dated public record; a parameter that was never monitored is shown as pending, not as a pass. Records →
Chicago's water is recorded as 8.2 gpg, hard. Hardness is an aesthetic and plumbing characteristic, not a health-based limit. Choose your situation →
UCMR5 Analytical Results
UCMR5 Analytical Results: CHICAGO (IL0316000)
US EPA
State SDWIS Compliance Record
Lead & Copper Rule 90th-percentile: CHICAGO (IL0316000)
US EPA SDWIS
Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)
City of Chicago Dept. of Water Management 2025 Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)
City of Chicago Dept. of Water Management
Methodology: how we analyze water. Prepared with AI assistance and reviewed by the PurityMap Editorial Team before publication.
EPA SDWIS, EPA UCMR 5 and utility reports, each dated and linked.
Units converted to one basis; a non-detect kept distinct from zero.
Each result tagged by reference type: MCL, action level, screening level or aesthetic.
Every value sits against its own reference, never a blended one.
Measured subjects summarised at the water-system level; an open health-based violation caps the score.
Treatment is matched to what was found; a product is called certified only when its current certification names it.
What the Purity Score means: a summary of this water system’s published record, capped while a health-based violation is open. It is not a test of any tap. CHICAGO · PWSID IL0316000 · Purity Score 91/100 (Excellent) · Confidence: high · Assessed at the water-system level
Full methodology →Start with the hot-or-cold tap check. Where Chicago Department of Water Management reported something related, it's shown below.
Chicago disinfects with chlorine (utility water-quality report).
Lead at Chicago Department of Water Management: 6.4 µg/L (90th percentile, 2026 monitoring period (still open)). Lead has no taste, so a taste neither shows nor rules it out.